Of Flame and Darkness
by Wernher von Braun
Summary: The Age of Fire has finally ended and the new age will replace it, for good or ill. History of those who came before has been forgotten. Yet among those who live in this new age, souls - old beyond imagination - still walk among them. They might never find their place in this new era but they could ensure that this new age will not suffer just like the one before it.
1. A Soul of Time Immemorial

**A Soul of Time Immemorial**

This was it. It finally came to all of this.

Every wound that she suffered from the final battle felt non-existent with how close she was to ending all of this. Slowly, she approached the bonfire, emerging after the fall of the Soul of Cinder.

Yet the bonfire itself was not her target. No, it was the letters etched on the ground beside it. Once she was close, she forwarded her hand towards them. From the letters, light emerged and slowly, a figure appeared.

There were only few people that she could call friend. The woman with dark dress in front of her was one of them.

The Firekeeper approached the bonfire. She knelt in front of it and moved her hands into the fire. When she moved them back, in her hands was none other than the First Flame; the one that gave life to the entire world.

One that must be extinguished, for its time has long passed.

She could see it, how darkness slowly consumed the world. But she possessed no fear, only acceptance, for there would be time when anything and everything would meet its end.

And that time was now.

"The First Flame quickly fades." The Firekeeper muttered. "Darkness will shortly settle."

She sat on the ground, staying close to her. She put her hands on her helmet and – upon taking it off – took a deep breath before putting it on the ground.

She wondered if she still had a Siegbräu.

"But one day, tiny flames will dance across the darkness." She continued. "Like embers, linked by lords past."

Would she be able to see that time come? She hoped she could, no matter how small the odd was.

"Ashen One, hearest thou my voice, still?"

* * *

Underneath a big tree, covering a meadow, several living beings were spending their day. The sunflowers following the Sun, butterflies and bees flying from one flower to another, enjoying the sweet nectar, rabbits hopping around, sometimes stopping to eat the grass...

...and a knight sleeping calmly, leaning on the tree.

"_That dream again..." _The knight thought as she slowly woke up.

Brushing off any dust or grass on her armor, she slowly walked away from the tree and continued her journey.

A pity. She liked the spot.

From the meadow, she went towards the forest. Upon entering the trees, she crouched, tyring to find a trail left behind by her targets.

She found one. A footprint. Not only the shape, the size was correct as well.

She took out her sword from its sheath. A sword of a fallen friend. She inspected the edge; the sharpness was just how she desired it. Satisfied, she put it back into the sheath.

After walking for several minutes, she found another trail; this time it was a smoke. While her targets tend to eat their food raw, it was not unknown for them to enjoy cooked meat once in a while.

With them being close, she unsheathed her sword once again and put her shield – previously resting on her back – into her left arm. She slowly approached them, crouching to ensure that she would be harder to seen nor heard.

Closer, she could hear them chewing something. Most likely the meat that they were cooking on the fire; meat of the animal that they hunted.

It certainly didn't smell anything like a human. And boy, does she know how a burning human flesh smelt like?

Finally, she was close enough to them. She emerged from the bushes, swung her sword...

...and killed her first orc.

* * *

Inside a tavern, a typical event was occurring. Men drinking ale and other boozes until some of them could barely walk. Travelers coming in to take a rest after long journey, probably staying for a day or two. The waitresses finding themselves receiving a leer or two, maybe even a flirt.

In one of the big tables of the tavern, sat a group of six women. Their beauty was the center of the attention of the patrons of the place. Not only the males found themselves stunned by them, even the women gave a glance or two towards them, either out of jealousy or admiration.

"Well, I guess this entire journey has been for nothing." One of the women, the green-haired one, sighed. "No recruit whatsoever. A dozen settlements and nothing."

"Come on, it is never our reason for traveling in the first place." Another woman, the red-haired one, replied. "Though about our lack of recruit..."

She glared at the two women beside her who were enjoying their meal, not realizing the glare that they were currently receiving. Everything about their physical appearance looked the same – their ears, nose, jaws, and more – indicating that they were twins.

"Ah, yes. Them." The first woman sighed again. "Why do we bring them with us?"

"Despite of their...'hobby'..." The red-haired cleared her throat before continuing. "...there's no doubt that they are skillful fighters."

"I suppose..."

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard the door of the tavern being opened. They, along with other people inside, looked at the door, curious to see who was either entering or leaving the building.

It was a knight, a sheathed sword on the hip and a shield on the back. Only the limb parts where the metal was visible with the left shoulder having a pauldron; from the chest down to the tights, the armor was covered by fabric, blue being the main color. A belt with pouches was an addition of the outfit.

The knight went to the owner and put a small bag on the desk. The latter looked at the content and nodded his head before pointing up with his thumb. After nodding back, the former went towards the stairs, where the rooms were located.

Even before the knight went upstairs, the patrons of the tavern already went back to their previous activity. The six women, however, kept their eyes until the sight of the armor disappeared from their eyes.

"Huh, interesting." The red-haired woman commented as she took a sip of her ale. "Maybe our journey wouldn't be completely for nothing. Right, Calypso?"

"You just have to mention it, didn't you, Maia?" The green-haired woman replied. "Others seem to be familiar with him."

"Just the owner if you ask me. We should..." The woman with red hair, Maia, stopped talking upon realizing that the owner was no longer where he was. Seeing a nearby door being closed, she could make an educated guess. "Well, he's occupied now."

"Well, there goes our information." The green-haired woman, Calypso, said before shrugging. "Looks like you have to meet the man himself."

Maia looked around the tavern after hearing that. The employees were busy with the patrons. They might know more about the knight but she didn't want to interrupted them working.

Her second-in-command was right; it was something that she had to do herself.

"Well, if you want something done right..." The red-haired muttered as she stood up. "Calypso, watch the others. This shouldn't take long."

The green-haired woman nodded her head. Maia then walked up the stairs, confident in her chance of recruiting the knight.

* * *

Fortunately, she encountered one of the staffs on her way upward. It would be embarrassing to go back down because she forgot to ask which room that belonged to the knight.

"_Alright, Maia. This is it. It will be easy." _She encouraged herself. "_Just walk towards the room, knock the door, and talk to him while your charm does its work." _

The red-haired was not blind on how the opposite sex viewed her. She bet that some of them had her in their minds when they were "satisfying themselves." While many might be embarrassed by it, she was not above using it for her advantage.

Once she was in front of the door, Maia cleared her throat before knocking on the door. When it was opened, she smiled, expecting the knight to be stunned by her beauty. However, she then realized one tiny miscalculation.

Namely, the gender of the knight.

Unlike before, the knight was not wearing the helm, letting the red hair saw the clearly feminine shapes of her face. Short, sickly yellow hair accompanying the blue orbs that looked into her.

Perhaps...the knight was an effeminate man?

"So? What do you want?" The knight asked in an obviously womanly voice as she folded her arms. "I am waiting."

Nope. She was definitely, one hundred percent, a woman.

"A-Ah, s-sorry, I just didn't expect you." Maia immediately said before noticing her mistakes soon after. "_You're blowing it!" _

The knight merely raised an eyebrow before her face returned to normal.

"Anything else you want to say?" She asked back.

"Right. Straight to business." The red hair cleared her throat. "My name is Maia. I am sure you have heard of..."

"Never heard of you before."

Maia froze and stopped talking, resulting in a rather awkward atmosphere. It didn't last long for she soon regained her footing.

"Then an introduction is in order. I am Maia, the Queen of the Mercenaries and one of the Seven Shield Princesses." She introduced herself.

"For what purpose one of the Princesses to visit me?" The knight asked, voice sounding a bit more hostile.

"I am here with no bad intention." Maia raised her hands. "I am just curious upon seeing you and is interested in recruiting you."

"You want to recruit me? A knight of unknown fame?" She replied while pointing at herself, sounding curious as well.

"You don't know much about the condition of the land, aren't you?" Upon receiving a head shake, the Queen smiled a bit. "Well, I can give you an introduction. I am sure after hearing it, you will be interested."

The knight put her hand on her chin. She diverted her eyes into her room. After a while, she turned her attention back to Maia.

"I suppose there is no problem with it. I have been traveling simply for the sake of it." She declared. "A change of scenery will not be unwelcomed."

"Happy to hear it." Maia's smile became wider. "So, do you still have business in the town or..."

"Just packing a bit and I am ready."

"Good. When you're done, meet me below."

The knight nodded her head before closing the door. Satisfied with the result, the red hair happily walked away before suddenly stopping, realizing that she forgot something.

"Damn, I forgot to ask about her name."

* * *

"Can you tell me about the knight that stayed in your tavern?"

While she had been meeting with the knight, Maia still lacked the knowledge about her. Thus, upon noticing that the owner of the tavern had returned, she went to him for information.

"Hmm, let me see..." The owner, a middle-aged man with a thick beard. "Well, I want to tell it to you but for some reason, it sticks in my tongue, not wanting to move."

The Queen of the Mercenaries simply rolled her eyes and put a gold coin on the desk. The owner picked it up and – after testing its authenticity – put it into his pocket.

"Well, she just came one day, asking for a room and a meal, and spend most of her days hunting down the likes of orcs and bandits." The owner spoke up. "That's everything I know ever since she arrived last week."

"I see." Maia put her hand on her chin before she heard him laughing. "Something funny?"

"Let me guess; you thought she was a he, correct?" He continued laughing.

She blushed a little. It wasn't her fault that she made that mistake. The knight didn't dress like the locals, so of course she made a mistake. Besides, considering how he said it, it was likely that the man in front of her made the same mistake as well.

Her thought was interrupted by someone who appeared beside her. Taking a small step back, Maia saw that it was none other than the knight, currently giving the owner the key of the room that she had been staying in.

"Let's go." The knight stated as she turned her head towards her.

* * *

Fortunately, there was a horse available for the knight. The group of women – now seven of them – rode away from the town, heading towards the capital of Eostia itself, Ken. It was a journey that would take several days before reaching the destination.

As they followed the road, Maia couldn't help but pity the knight for she had become the center of the attention of the twins. The helm muffled her voice, making it possible for her to be mistaken as a man with a rather high-pitched voice. Adding the fact that she didn't dress like any female knight, mercenary, or warrior in Eostia, the mistake was inevitable.

"Come on, now! It's impolite to ignore a lady, you know?" One of the twins, Ann, said to her.

"I can understand, acting like a gentleman and all that. But some people prefer a less...rigid person, get it?" Another twin, Pan, followed.

The red-haired woman sighed as she facepalmed. While their skills were without doubt, those two blondes were also known for their libido. Because they mistook the knight for a man, it was obvious what their intention was towards "him."

A part of her wanted to tell the rest about the real gender of the knight and get on with it. Another part of her wanted them to feel the same embarrassment that she felt upon noticing her mistake, especially the twins.

That would teach them a lesson or two.

"Maia," Hearing the voice of her second-in-command, she turned her head towards her. "It's almost dark."

"You're right." She said in agreement. "We should set up a camp now."

The group stopped their horses and disembarked. They split up the roles; some of them established the tents, others taking care of the horses, and there were also those that were preparing the bonfire.

The knight volunteered for the bonfire. She went towards the trees, collecting the dry branches that littered the place. When she returned with enough woods, Maia was about to offered her a flint when a flame suddenly appeared at the hand of the knight, which she used to ignite the branches and created a bonfire.

"Man, you can use magic as well?" The Queen commented. "It is a good decision to have you with us."

"Speaking of which, you still have not given me any explanation about the land." The knight said back as she observed the bonfire, making sure that it wouldn't just fade away.

"Jeez, have it easy, will you?" She waved her hand. "Besides, it's not like you will be able to listen to my explanation, what with those two keep hounding at you."

"Point."

The dinner was simple; just some bread, cheese, and water. As they ate, Maia noticed that the knight didn't take off her helm, merely raising the mouth part.

That wouldn't do.

Looking at the newest addition of the group, she noticed that there was a speck of something on the helm. When the knight looked back at her, noticing the stare, the red hair simply pointed at her own head. The former took off her helm and noticed the speck.

"Hmm..." She touched it and smelled her fingers. "Berries."

Maia nodded her head before looking at her subordinates. All of them were frozen on spot, either was about to put food into their mouth or was in the middle of chewing. Inside her own mind, she laughed at their reactions.

At least she was not the only one now.

* * *

After several days of riding, the group finally reached the city of Ken, the capital city of Eostia and the seat of the government, where the Seven Princesses and other important officials would discuss with each other to ensure the continuance of the kingdom.

For example, the war against the High Queen of the Dark Elves Olga Discordia, which had occurred for who-knows-how-long.

"Well, here we are." Maia declared before sighing. "Unfortunately, the day is almost over. I feel bad disturbing Celestine's rest. She deserves every single bit of it."

"Agree. Especially these days." Calypso said in agreement. "We should find a place to rest, then."

"What about the usual?"

"The usual it is then."

The group went towards a stable where they entrusted their horses before walking towards their destination. Along the way, the folk whispered to each other, admiring Maia – for she was one of the Seven Princesses – and her companions.

The Queen of the Mercenaries could also hear curiosity among them, directed towards the knight that had become part of the group.

And as expected, some were wondering who was the lucky "man" that accompanied by six beautiful women.

"_It will never get old." _She thought as she took a glance at the knight, who didn't seem to care about the whispers.

Finally, they reached their destination, which was an inn. Upon entering the building, the owner noticed them and immediately went to get the keys of the bedrooms. Maia and her mercenaries were quite regulars at the place so the man already knew what to do upon seeing them.

"Here you go." He said as he gave them four keys.

The red hair accepted them as she gave the payment. One for her, two for her mercenaries, and one for the knight. She giggled a little as once again, someone made the mistake, much to the confusion of the owner and the understanding of her companions.

"Well, here's your room." Maia said to the knight as she offered her a key. "I understand that you might want a bit of privacy, especially since me and others are still strangers for you."

"Thanks." She replied while nodding her head.

"We're going to meet with Celestine Lucross, the Goddess Reborn herself in the morning. So, make sure that you have enough rest."

"Understand."

Just as the knight about to unlocked the door, Maia remembered what she had forgotten.

"Wait!" She said suddenly, causing the knight to look at her. "Sorry, but I just remember that I don't know your name."

"That is correct." She replied. "A friend of mine called me the Ashen One."

"Come on now, that's not a name." The Queen pleaded to her. "There's no need to keep your name a secret. You're among friends."

The knight kept silent, not immediately answering the demand. Maia was about to give up and let it go when the woman in full armor answered it.

"I go by the name of Ashe." She spoke up, revealing her name. "Ashe of Astora."

"Astora?" The red hair put her hand on her chin. "I don't think I have ever heard of the name."

"I doubt you will be able to find the fallen Astora in any map."

"...oh." Now the atmosphere became awkward. "Sorry to hear that."

"It's been a long time." Ashe replied. "One would already make a peace with it."

Having nothing else to say, Maia simply bid her a good night, leaving the knight alone in front of her room.

Sighing, the Unkindled opened the door and entered the room.

* * *

**And the introduction is over. **

**If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me. **

**Review, please!**


	2. Returning Champion

**Returning Champion**

"_This dream again..."_

_Once again, she was walking among the darkness, slowly approaching the only source of light. Not only the source of light, it was also the only source of warmth. _

_Upon reaching the source of light and warmth, a bonfire, she met with two people once again; a maiden in black dress, eyes covered by a piece of mask. A knight, sitting in front of the bonfire, resting. _

_The two of them merely gave her a look before returning their attentions towards the bonfire. She waved her hand, deciding to be polite, before warming herself with the bonfire. _

_It was the same thing all over again; for the first few minutes, nothing happened. Merely three people gathering around a bonfire. Then, the knight stood up and walked away from the bonfire, towards the darkness. When the knight was several feet away, the maiden looked at her and pointing her finger towards the leaving warrior. _

_And like many times before, she refused. _

"_Why art thou afraid of darkness?" The maiden would ask her. "Aren't thou sleep soundly under the darkness itself?" _

_And again, she didn't have the answer. _

* * *

On her bed, Celestine Lucross, Goddess Reborn, stirred around. She suddenly sat up, awoken by the dream that had plagued her for days.

For a while, she remained on her bed, controlling her breath and wiped away the cold sweat on her forehead. She looked outside of the window, seeing that the sun had just recently arise in the horizon.

She remembered the first night she had the dream. It was after a long meeting; one where she, along with other Princesses and top officials of the kingdom, discussed on the possibility of ending the war against Olga Discordia for good.

The meeting was adjourned. There were reasons – good ones – on why more often than not the Queen of the Dark Elves was the one on the offensive and lack of courage among Eostians was not one of them. As she went to sleep, the thought remained in her mind.

The High Elf couldn't help but wonder the reason for her most recent dream. Was it simply because she was too stressed? Or was it something else, a vision on how to finally put an end to the war that had ravaged the land for centuries and bring ever-lasting peace?

She didn't know why but she had a feeling that she would discover her answer sooner than later.

* * *

After approaching one of the guards to deliver a message to Celestine that she wished to have a meeting with her, Maia went back to the inn to find her companions already eating their breakfast. Sighing for being "abandoned," she picked up her meal before taking a seat.

"Really? Starting without me?" She commented. "I am hurt you know."

"No, you don't." Calypso retorted. "Besides, it's not our fault. She began eating the moment she took a seat."

With her spoon, the green-haired woman pointed at the newest member of the group, Ashe of Astora. Not bothering with what happened around her, the knight continued to eat her food; baked beans over scrambled eggs on toast. Just like during their travel, she didn't take off her helm and simply opened the face protector.

"Really, Ashe?" Maia diverted her attention to the blonde.

"Is there something wrong?" The Astoran replied. "If you have an opportunity to eat, take it. You don't know when it would pass due to circumstances."

"Like what?"

"A boar attack. There's this one time when I was preparing a soup when a boar attacked my camp, scattering the food all over the place." She paused for a while to take another bite of her food. "Fortunately, it was replaced by meat."

Nobody on the table needed to guess just what kind of meat that she ate.

"Alright. You might have a point if it's on the field." The Queen of the Mercenaries stated. "But we're not outside. We're now on one of the safest places in the world."

The knight simply shrugged.

"Also, again, really?" She added. "Take off your helm. Eating will be more comfortable that way."

"Don't want to get ambushed when I am eating."

"_Again_, one of the safest places in the world."

Not in the mood of arguing further, Ashe decided to relent and took of her helm. Not long after that, there was a sound of someone hitting a table. The group turned their heads towards the source, seeing a waitress collecting the dropped bowls and tankards. Because she stole a glance or two towards them, more specifically, the knight from Astora, the mercenaries of the group managed to figure out the reason for the crash.

"_One more person surprised by the gender reveal." _Their minds shared the same thought.

With more and more people unable to guess the correct Ashe's gender, which was not entirely their fault, to be honest, Maia couldn't help but wonder if the Princesses would make the same mistake as well.

The curious thought was followed by one more mischievous in nature.

* * *

"Well, here we are!" Maia declared. "The palace of the Goddess Reborn herself!"

Currently, she and Ashe were standing in front of the gate, waiting for it to be opened. The former had given her companions some off time, which they soon took and went to their own business.

A part of her hoped that the twins wouldn't cause too much trouble.

When the gate was opened, the pair entered the palace, not forgetting to give a nod to the guards. The two of them walked through a beautiful garden, filled with various types of flower, cared by the gardeners. They passed through a fountain before one of them spoke up.

"Is it normal?" Ashe asked. "For every recruit to meet with the leader of the kingdom?"

"Well, not really." Maia replied as she scratched her head. "It's just that, you being a foreigner means that Lady Celestine would very likely want to talk with you. Furthermore, I personally recruited you myself."

"I see." The knight nodded. "So, Celestine is someone that's curious about people."

"I suppose you can put it that way."

When they entered the building itself, the pair was greeted by four knights of the Dawn Templars, the personal guard of Celestine Lucross and the guardians of the capital city of Ken.

"Hey there, it's me!" Maia greeted them without any formality. "Meeting with Lady Celestine, remember?"

"Lady Maia, we have expected your arrival." One of the knights greeted back, obviously being more formal. "Your guest will have to hand over her weapons and show her face."

"You hear them, Ashe." The red hair said while shrugging. "Sorry about the protocol."

"It is fine by me." Ashe replied as she took of her helm.

"_There we go again._" The Queen of the Mercenaries laughed in her mind at the reactions of the Dawn Templars.

Ashe went towards one of the knights and gave her the helm. She then grabbed the shield on her back before giving it as well. When she handed over her sword, however, her attitude was different; she didn't let it go when the Dawn Templar knight grabbed it. Confused, the latter looked at the blonde, only to be surprised by the hard stare that she received.

"Make sure you do not lose it." The Astoran stated coldly, promising pain if otherwise happened.

"Y-Yes..." The knight stuttered.

Satisfied, Ashe let the sword go before rejoining Maia, leaving the poor girl trembling. That event left an effect as the guards kept their eyes on the blonde while the two of them were escorted to where Celestine was.

"A memento?" The red-haired woman asked, curious by the knight's previous act.

"A friend's." She nodded her head.

Reading the tone, the Queen of the Mercenaries decided not to ask further. It seemed to be something personal and judging by how she acted when she gave it away, must be something given by a close one.

If you asked her, Maia would state that the sword was likely given by someone more than a friend.

* * *

"Lady Celestine?"

The High Elf diverted her attention from the cup of tea in her hand and looked at Claudia.

"I am alright, Claudia. It's just a little lack of sleep." She assured her dearest friend. "I can always just take a nap if I have to."

While she disagreed with her, the leader of the Dawn Templars kept her opinion to herself and simply nodded her head. Celestine smiled a bit. Claudia Levantine, the leader of the Dawn Templars and the strongest of the Princess Knights. There seemed to be no day when she was not worried about the health of the Goddess Reborn.

When they heard the footsteps, Celestine and Claudia looked at the approaching group. There were three guards escorting Maia and...

It was a good thing that she decided to put down her cup first or else she would have dropped it. That armor, there was no doubt about it. It was the same armor worn by the knight that she encountered in her dream. Despite the lack of helm or any weapon, Celestine immediately recognized her.

Speaking of which, she was surprised that the knight was a woman all this time. Then again, the armor was very concealing and she never heard her speaking. The only one that spoke in the dream was the maiden in dark.

She stopped her thought when she realized that the group had arrived, the guards waiting to be dismissed.

"Thank you." She told them with a smile. "You may leave."

The three guards bowed before taking their leave. There were now only four people in the garden. Without waiting any longer, Maia went towards one of the empty chairs and took it.

"Hey there, Celestine, Claudia." The red-haired woman greeted them. "Nice to see you two again."

"Maia, can you be a bit more formal?" Claudia complained as she sighed.

"Hey, Celestine herself told us to be more friendly when we are alone, right?"

Said High Elf was laughing a bit at the banter between the brown hair and the red hair. It was only then that she realized that the knight was still standing. She simply stood there, looking at the scene while showing little emotion.

"Ah, I am sorry, where are my manners?" She said immediately. "Please, Lady Knight, have a seat."

The knight gave a bow before taking a seat. While Maia had already enjoying herself with the sweets, the blonde remained in her seat, only making the least amount of movement needed. If Celestine had to be honest, the woman nerved her.

"That's right." Maia immediately spoke up. "Celestine, Claudia, this is Ashe of Astora, a foreign knight that I met on my travel."

The knight, Ashe, nodded her head. The High Elf was growing curious about the one that she met in her dream.

"Astora? Forgive me but this is my first time hearing it." She commented.

The Queen of the Mercenaries, remembering about the conversation last night, was about to intervene when the Astoran answered the statement made by the Goddess Reborn.

"You won't." The blonde said. "Only the survivors of the fall remembered the land and they are dwindling."

The atmosphere became awkward, just like what happened in the inn last night. Maia suddenly found the floor very interesting, taking a sip of the tea in front of her. Claudia looked lost on what to do and Celestine showed guilt as if she was kicking a puppy.

"I-I-I am sorry..." The High Elf closed her eyes and bowed a bit. "I-I should have been more careful with my word..."

"A peace has been made with the loss." Ashe calmly replied. "There's nothing to ask forgiveness for."

Celestine meekly nodded her head. The awkwardness made it hard for her to asked about Ashe and her history. She already mentioned a bad one and didn't want to accidentally mention another history that one would wish to remain buried.

However, it seemed that fate had another plan in mind.

"Lady Celestine!"

The four women turned their heads to the caller. They saw a guard coming to their table with a paper in hand. The High Elf immediately read it the moment it was given to her hand. After a while, her eyes widened.

"It's Alicia." Celestine stated. "She requests a help to hunt down an orc warband that managed to pass through the frontline."

"What?" Maia immediately put down her cup. "How could that happen?"

"There was an offensive a week ago. Due to that, a gap was created an a warband used the opportunity to penetrate our defense." The High Elf explained. "She tried to give a chase but it appears the leader is smarter than normal orc; the warband destroyed the path that they took, causing a big delay."

"Do we know the location of the warband?" Claudia asked.

"Alicia predicted them to be heading to the village of Olaf."

"Then that's where we're heading." The Queen stood up. "Come on, Ashe. Time to see you in action!"

Before she stood up, Ashe looked at Celestine, who could only nod her head, rather confused on why she asked a permission from her. As the Goddess Reborn and Leader of the Dawn Templars watched their guests walking away, the latter asked the former something.

"Lady Celestine, do you recognize the knight?" She asked.

"Eh?" The blonde blinked, not expecting the question.

"When they arrived, you froze. Especially when you set your eyes on the foreign knight, Ashe of Astora."

"Well...not exactly..." The elf lowered her head. "I saw her the first time in my dream."

"Your dream?" Claudia's eyes widened, knowing about the prophetic nature that Celestine's dream could possess. "Who is she then, Milady? An honorable knight? Someone dangerous?"

"That's the thing. The dream reveals nothing." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The only thing that she did was sitting in front of a bonfire before walking towards an engulfing darkness."

The Princess Knight found herself confused by the dream as well. While not exactly straightforward, the dreams of the High Elf were not complex when it came to what message that was delivered; either a fortune that would bless the kingdom or a dark omen that they must be prepared of.

For the dream to be ambiguous on its message. Clearly, it was not a mere dream; even more so than others.

"Ashe of Astora." Celestine muttered the name. "Who are you?"

* * *

Maia wasted no time at all in calling back her companions. Them and Ashe, along with several soldiers from Ken, immediately headed towards the village of Olaf, which was predicted to be the target of an orc warband. Many hoped that they would not be too late when they arrive for orcs were infamous for their reputation.

"So, Ashe..." The red-haired woman started a conversation. "You've taken orcs before, right? Should be easy-peasy for you, this task."

"I wouldn't be so sure." The knight disagreed. "Sometimes, all it takes for the greatest of warrior to perish is for them to make one wrong move."

And she had a lot of experience to prove it. There were times she was killed because she was overconfident. There were also times that she was killed because she didn't expect how powerful her opponents would be. But most of the time, she was killed because she made one wrong step.

That was the only explanation on how mere Hollows were still dangerous for her. And then there were the Lothric Knights, who were more than willing to teach her what happened if one made a mistake in combat.

"Eh, have more confident, will you?" Maia told her as she lightly punched the knight's shoulder. "I know your type; not someone that will perish in a mere battle. If you die in one, it will be in one of the grandest battles in history."

Ashe rolled her eyes back but didn't speak further.

* * *

After hours of riding and marching, the Eostian force managed to reach the village. What greeted them was nothing short of chaos.

Whatever defense that the villagers put up against the orcs, it had fallen. It was now every person for themselves. The orcs were all over the settlement, destroying something just because they felt like doing it, killing to satiate their bloodlust, forcing women to fulfill their carnal desire, and many more heinous actions.

"Men! The..."

Before the Queen of the Mercenaries could even give a semblance of order, Ashe already hopped off her horse and charged towards the orcs, sword and shield in hands.

"Damn it, Ashe! And you told me to not get too confident!" Maia exclaimed as she hopped off her horse as well. "I'll follow her! The rest of you, do you best to save the people!"

""Yes, milady!""

With two swords in hand, the red-haired woman chased after the knight. Said knight was heading towards an orc, who saw her and swung its club. Ashe rolled under the attack and retaliated by injuring its leg. It was forced to its knee and then finished by a stab in the back.

The scream that it let out as it died attract the attention of more orcs. Three orcs ran towards her position. She attacked first, stabbing her sword into the bulging stomach of one of them. As she took it out and let it bleed to death, Ashe used her shield to block an attack, which succeeded and shocked the orc, not expecting a mere human could withstand its attack.

Well, she was not a "human" in the first place.

Counterattacking, the Unkindled performed a slash from the shoulder to the pelvis. She then parried an attack from the last orc, creating an opening that she exploited, ending its life by stabbing its heart.

While all of this happened, in spite of being busy killing orcs herself, Maia watched the foreign knight in action. Not only she was skilled in combat, she was also immensely powerful, being able to block an attack from an orc, which was known to sometimes caused a man to fly.

Then, she saw something that amazed her.

In the distance, a group of orcs was chasing after a mother carrying a child. Seeing it, Ashe stabbed her sword to the ground and out of nowhere took out a staff. With the staff, she used a magic that send a blue stream of energy at the group. The orcs stood no chance and was destroyed without any survivor.

The Queen of the Mercenaries whistled upon witnessing it. She had seen her using a magic before and while not common, there were cases of knights that know a bit about magic. But what Ashe had just used was something that one expected from a mage or sorcerer, not a physically-focused knight.

"I don't think diamond in the rough is enough to explain my finding." Maia commented as she grinned before scowling. "Hey, get away from me, you big dumb brute!"

* * *

As one more orc was slain by her hands, Ashe advanced further into the village. When she reached the center of the settlement, she saw it; one orc that was bigger than others, covered in metal plates of various size, and using a club with big nails for extra damage.

Said orc was busy pulverizing the poor man into a smear on the ground. Noticing the arrival of the knight, he raised his club and looked at her direction.

"Human, you...weird." It stated as it sniffed the air. "You man shape. But smell woman."

She didn't reply those words. The Ashen One put her shield on her back. Her free hand was engulfed by Pyromancy Flame. Before she could do anything else, the orc ran towards her. Ashe hurled a fireball as she moved away, which was easily dodged by the beast. When it swung its club towards her, she rolled into the orc and tried to wound it, only to hit the metal plate.

Ashe rolled once again to avoid from being stomped by the orc. Before the latter could continue its attack, it felt someone attacking its back. With a speed unexpected of a being its size, it swung its club in a semi-circle motion, almost hitting the attacker, Maia, if she didn't manage to avoid in the last second.

"That's a close one..." She commented. "I see you need a help, Ashe!"

"I have an idea." The knight replied. "I require a distraction."

"Leave it to me then!"

With her two swords in hand, the red-haired woman ran towards the orc, letting out a war cry as she did so. Not wanting to be beaten, the orc roared with its club high over its head. Repeatedly, the orc tried to smashed her into a smear but the latter was agiler. Frustrated, it chased after Maia when she decided to run away.

Suddenly, it stopped, feeling a hand touching its skin, exposed through the gap between the plates that it wore. Before it could do anything else, it roared in abject pain as its inside was slowly being cooked. Not long after, the entire body of the beast was turned into ashes.

"Shit!" Maia commented as she approached the remains. "I have seen some sick spells but that's just... Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Noted." Ashe simply replied as her left hand turned back to normal.

* * *

There was no celebration for too many have been killed and too many have been wrecked. The victory that was won by the forces of Eostia could only be described as hollow. Those that managed to survive were preparing to leave their home for a safer place, possibly for good.

Leaning over a cart, Maia observed as the soldiers helped the villagers in packing their belongings. Or whatever remained anyway. She turned her eyes towards Ashe, who was sitting on the ground, arms resting on her knees. Despite the apparent state of musing, the Queen of the Mercenaries knew that she was more than aware of her surroundings.

Find the silence uncomfortable, Maia decided to start a conversation.

"So, not your first, huh?" She spoke up, causing the knight to look at her. "You don't seem to be shaken up by all of that; the killing, the rape..."

"Indeed." Ashe nodded her head before diverting her eyes away.

Well, not much success in that regard.

The red hair sighed as she rubbed her head. One day, she hoped that Ashe would open up to not just her but basically other as well.

But she knew that that day was not today. And it wouldn't happen for a long time.

* * *

**And done. **

**If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me.**

**Review, please!**


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